Miss Deborah Smailes
School of Arts, Media and Creative Technologies
Current positions
Lecturer in Fashion Business & Marketing
Biography
After completing a B.A. (Hons) Degree in Fashion Design at the University of Salford. I have accumulated over twenty years’ experience working within the fashion industry across various industry environments that include: design (own sustainable label ‘CGC' clothing), technical, and product development for national and international companies. My expertise ranges from women’s wear tailoring to sportswear product management.
I have delivered sustainable fashion workshops for companies such as Nike, Oxfam and the Amsterdam Arts and Craft Centre. Sustainable consultancy work involves advising small clothing start ups clothing brands and established streetwear brands such as 'Daily Paper'. As part of my consultancy work I deliver talks around the development of clothing sustainability at the National Federation of Women's Institute in the UK and ENJO 's digital platform in Germany.
Following on from my years in industry, I furthered my education gaining a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and I am now at the end a Postgraduate Research Degree (MPhil) investigating sustainability within fashion, focusing on consumer attitudes towards clothing as a route to influencing sustainable garment consumption. I have presented my research paper at sustainable fashion conferences and university led symposia. As an academic, I have taught at various universities in the UK, Amsterdam and Vietnam. I have been module leader for Ethics in Fashion at the Conde Nast College of Fashion Design, London. And have lectured across three BA (hons) Fashion Degree programmes at MMU - Manchester Fashion Institute.
Currently I am the programme lead for our MA Fashion Business and Marketing course at the University of Salford. I lead on a combination of modules focusing on fashion sustainability, the circular economy and responsible management, regenerative textiles and governing legalisation in the fashion industry. I also lecture on the BA (hons) Fashion Business and Promotion degree.
Areas of Research
Environmental and social innovation of sustainability
Cultures and practices of regenerative textiles
Consumer behaviour and perceptions of ethical clothing
Alternative business models, Circular economy / De-growth economy
Biophilic clothing design
I am the programme lead for our MA Fashion Business and Marketing course. I lead on a combination of modules focusing on fashion sustainability, the circular economy and responsible management, regenerative textiles and governing legalisation in the fashion industry.
I also lecture on the BA Fashion Business and Promotion course, module leading on, Fixing Fashion: A Sustainable Future, highlighting and investigating new avenues on how to counteract the destructive practices within the fashion industry supply chain.
Visual Merchindising and Brand Realisation, centred around brand creation, visual merchandising and retailtainment.
Work Placement and Live Industry Brief, supporting students through the process of acquiring their industry internship.
The Future of Shopping, magazine article looking at the future of retail and digital trends for the physical store.
Outreach projects include a collaboration with our industry partners ACS clothing, who aspire to transform the fashion industry from the traditional linear take-make-dispose model, towards a circular fashion model that extends the life of existing textiles and diverts clothing from landfill. Also outreach projects have included events with the Manchester Fashion Movement and Shelter the homeless charity.
Qualifications
-
MPhil Sustainable Fashion, Marketing and Management
2023 - 2025